Around the middle of January, New Year’s resolutions start to get neglected. The excitement of a new year has waned and reality has begun to set in. Go to the gym? There’s always tomorrow. Eat vegetables and fruits? Pizza sounds better.
While eating healthy might seem like a chore, it is often the saving grace of preventing your teeth from falling apart in your later years.
In his book “Don’t Sugar Coat It,” Dr. Charles W. Martin, DDS reveals the never-ending cycle existent between eating unhealthy foods and teeth decay.
It’s vital that your teeth remain healthy enough to do the job they’re designed to do – comfortably masticate. You need to chew, and chew well to be happy and healthy.
…People who have poor teeth tend to choose softer food because it causes less pain during chewing. But softer foods tend to be more dense in calories, fat and refined carbohydrates, which are readily converted into high levels of blood glucose.
When you have stronger teeth that give you the option of choosing firm foods, you are better able to follow dietary guidelines and include more fruits and vegetables. These tend to be lower in calories and fat, and contain complex carbohydrates.
…The chief metabolic result is that you avoid the big spike of blood sugar that you get with foods that are loaded with refined carbohydrates…A frequent side effect is that as these foods are digested more slowly, you are satisfied for a longer period of time after each meal. When you’re less hungry, you tend to snack less on high-fat, high refined carb, high calorie foods that spike your blood glucose and pile on weight.
Some patients insist they are not able to eat healthily due to the fact that healthy food hurts their teeth when they chew. However, based on what Dr. Martin previously stated, many patients can alleviate their toothaches along with future teeth decay issues by simply eliminating empty-calorie foods from their diet and replacing them with foods of substance.
To find out whether or not your teeth are healthy, call (804) 417-7203 or visit The Richmond Smile Center online to set up an appointment.
